Method for the manufacture of ring book sheets in a combined operation



Nov. 10, 1959 H. BIEL ET AL METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RING BOOK SHEETS IN A COMBINED OPERATION Filed Dec. 13, 1955 United States Patent Ofiice NIETHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RING BOOK SHEETS IN A COMBINED OPERATION Hans 'Biel and Ernst Pffiflie, N eutlen, Wurttemberg, Germany, assignors to Hans A. Sickinger, Providence, R.I.

Application December 13, 1955, Serial No. 552,895

Claims priority, application Germany July 7, 1955 1 Claim. (Cl. 93-1) This invention relates to a method for manufacturing ring book sheets and similar paper products in a combined operation. The invention is aimed at replacing the conventional manufacture in individual and separate operations by a combination thereof in order to dispense with a great number of auxiliary operational stages which are indispensable in such conventional manufacture and involve a corresponding expenditure of time, wages and physical effort.

The hitherto known method of manufacturing various paper products, such as loose leaf sheets from paper webs, involves the operations of ruling, trimming of edges and corners, marginal perforating, piling and cutting on all edges. This offers the incontestable advantage that each individual operation can be separately performed on special machinery and perfected with regard to quality, economy of time and costs. On the other hand, the unavoidable and important disadvantage of such methods becomes apparent in such factors as the necessity of conveying the work from one place to the next, the need for checks between these stages and the need for frequent realigning, straightening and trimming of the sheet piles. These auxiliary manipulations require a considerable expenditure of time, attention and physical strain, which factors ultimately result in increased cost.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing products such as ring book sheets which eliminate the disadvantages of previously known methods, and combine all separate steps in one continuous and integrated operation with a novel and advantageous sequence.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

The figure shows a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the invention for the manufacture of ring book sheets, the drawing being a plan view of the general arrangement of the machine.

The invention comprises an integral machine assembly which includes in combined form all the instrumentalities necessary for the manufacture of ring book loose leaf sheets. The individual machines, combined and integrated in the manner of a production train, are arranged according to their function as follows:

(1) Ruling of the continuous paper web on both sides;

(2) Lateral edge cutting and, simultaneously, cutting at the center into two webs;

(3) Cross cutting into separate sheets;

(4) Piling of 20 or 25 sheets (total range: 5 to 32 sheets);

(5) Edge cutting of both longitudinal edges in the direction of conveyance;

(6) Perforating adjacent one longitudinal edge;

Patented .Nov. 10, 1959 (7) Rounding the four corners of the sheet pile;

(8) Collecting of sheet piles into a volume of, for instance, 100 sheets;

(9) Cross-binding, parallel to perforation;

(10) Depositing, for instance, in piles of five sheets each.

To facilitate the sequence of individual operations in the combined equipment, and to simplify operational checking, the machine has been arranged in its ground plan in an angular form so that the initial operations up to and including the stage of piling 20 or 25 sheets are apportioned to one, that is, the shorter, side, while the remaining operations are apportioned to the other and longer leg. The paper web first runs off reel 1 While being checked for such possible blemishes as holes, etc. by means of an optically sensitive cell 2. Subsequently, the paper web is passed through a number of inking devices 3 for ruling on both sides. Then a circular cutter 4 separates the paper web at the center, at the same time trimming the two edges. This operation is followed by cross cutting in a transverse direction by means of cutting device 5. The adjacent sheets 6 thereby produced are collected by a special mechanism into piles of 20 or 25 sheets each, and deposited. Subsequently, a rectangularly constructed conveyor channel is reached. Through this means, the two piles 6 may be easily arranged in a row and cut at their longitudinal edges, without having to be pushed through below the cutting knives. Subsequent cutting of the sides is performed by the two knives 7 of a cutting device. After the sheet piles 6 have been passed on, they are provided along one side with a row of perforations by means of'punching dies 8. In

the following operation, the four corners of the sheet pile 6 are rounded by suitably designed punching tools. The sheet pile is then cross-bound as shown at 10 in a lengthwise manner parallel to the row of perforations. In the concluding operation, the bound sheet piles are bundled in predetermined numbers on a conveyor belt.

The main drive for the entire equipment is obtained in the conventional manner from an electric motor 12 located adjacent the juncture of the two legs of the machine and driving the devices arranged at the front end of the machine as well as all other devices arranged at the rear end. Positive drive of all devices is ensured by a chain and gear wheel drive towards the front end and by shafting towards the rear end of the machine. Through this arrangement, many elements required for individual drive may be dispensed with so that a constructional simplification is obtained and the possibility of breakdown of some portion of the machine is diminished.

As compared with the conventional method, a certain latitude in the performance of each individual operation cannot be preserved under the present method since a combination of operations necessarily involves positive or controlled movement with regard to time, place and construction. However, through the absence of auxiliary manipulations, or their reduction to a minimum degree, as well as through saving of personnel, the cost of the finished product will be essentially reduced. Expressed in figures, this economy is represented in the ratio of 3 to 1 persons required for individual manufacture as compared with combined manufacture with the present invention. This proportion is increased to 9 to 1 by the fact that one person can handle three combined machines during their operation. From this it may be concluded that the labor and time required for a six-fold change of piles in individual manufacture are equal to the work performed by the combined machine of this invention. Furthermore, the various combined operations are so devised that weak moments in operation, which are liable to lead to disturbances and considerably reduced output, are precluded. As far as the speeds of individual machines compared with those of the combined machine of this invention are concerned, it may be stated that the most tedious and time-consuming operation will determine the speed of the combined machine. The resultant drawback may be offset by the fact that certain individual machines are replaced in the combined machine by several units, as a result of which an operationally and commercially satisfactory coordination of individual machines in a combined form may be obtained.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed is Well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claim.

What is claimed is:

In a method for manufacturing ring book sheets or the like, the combined steps of ruling a paper web on both sides while conveying the Web in one direction, cutting the lateral edges and the center of the Web while continuing to move the web in said one direction, crosscutting the web into sheets, piling a plurality of sheets,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 585,998 Adams July 6, 1897 649,112 Smith May 8, 1900 1,144,506 Staude June 29, 1915 1,325,771 Anderson Dec. 23, 1919 1,686,132 Heeter Oct. 2, 1928 1,841,017 Eickhofi Jan. 12, 1932 1,943,985 Novick Jan. 16, 1934 2,109,527 Fenton Mar. 1, 1938 2,536,675 Bergstein Jan. 2, 1951 2,688,830 Halahan Sept. 14, 1954 2,694,351 Winkler et a1 Nov. 16, 1954 

